“Biodegradable” has long been a staple of the green movement.  We know
to look for it on product labels because it’s good,  both in the
packaging and the product, but do we really understand what it means?

For the most part, no.  Unfortunately, it is one of the most commonly
abused greenwash terms, likely because there is no standardized
definition. Generally it means that the product will break down quickly
in nature to naturally occurring components with the help of the
existing bacteria.  But how quick is quickly?

Eco-Logo, the most prevalent environmental certification in Canada
requires that products or packaging be “readily biodegradable”.  They
specify a test for all products that measures how quickly a product
breaks down.  In general they are looking for at least 60-70% breakdown
within 14 days.

This test is going to screen out a lot of products.  Take plastic bags
for example.  Technically they do biodegrade - they break down in nature
– it just takes an estimated 1000 years to do it (we don’t know for sure
since plastic bags have only been around for 50 years…).  I don’t know
about you – but that’s not my idea of biodegradable.

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This year Earth Day marks a couple of milestone birthdays: 40 years since the original US Earth Day in 1970 and 20 years since the first International Earth Day in 1990. Organized as a series of teach-ins by a small group of educators and environmentalists, the 1970 Earth Day was envisioned as a grass-roots response to the environmental crisis of the day, inspired by the impact of and lack of government action in response to an oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara CA. Planners aspired to attract crowds as large and passionate as those protesting the war then being waged in Viet Nam to make themselves heard on the issue of the environment. From their actions, 20 million demonstrators observed the first Earth Day and urged leaders and citizens to make the changes necessary to preserve the health of the planet. Since that time Earth Day has grown to become an international event, marked in 141 different countries in 1990 to where it is today, about to be celebrated by a billion people in over 190 countries and coinciding with the World People’s Conference on Climate Change.

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It was primarily a symbolic gesture. Way back in 1979, in the midst of an energy crisis, Jimmy Carter had solar panels installed on the roof of the White House. They were used to heat water for some White House staffers.

“A generation from now,” said Mr. Carter, “this solar heater can either be a curiosity, a museum piece, an example of a road not taken, or it can be a small part of one of the greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the American people, harnessing the power of the sun to enrich our lives as we move away from our crippling dependence on foreign oil.”

Ronald Reagan had the panels taken down.

Excerpted from the February 13, 2010 op-ed in the New York Times.

Here are a few facts that are staggering in relation to this issue:

Canada is America’s largest supplier of oil.

America reached its peak oil production in 1970 and has been in steady decline ever since.

America’s consumption of oil reached its peaked during the energy crisis of 1979 at over 21,000 barrels per day.  It exceeded this level beginning in 2006.  The current economic recession has had a big impact on consumption, now hovering just over 19,000 barrels per day.

The US ranks 7th in energy consumption per capita after Canada and a number of small countries.

A few weeks ago, Susan Mey (Green Cricket President) and I (Trevor Smith) visited Niagara College (Niagara on the Lake), where Green Cricket Expert Katie Altoft teaches.  We challenged the Environmental Management students to write a Blog on a topic of interest to them.  The three best Blogs have been chosen to be published here on our website… All entries were very good - CONGRATULATIONS WINNERS!   Please read on…

BLOG A : Making a Difference, One by One!   

How can one person make a difference by buying green products? This is often a question among people of all ages, but the real issue is taking responsibility for the environment, young or old. There is conflict in today’s generation gap with many differences in the ways green issues are viewed. Younger generations are more aware of their impact because of the attention it receives through media, education, and other sources. Some people may be influenced by the financial limitations to “going green”, but this is the only alternative if we want to live in a sustainable world. It is time to take ownership of what our actions have on the environment.

Changing our ways can be accomplished one step at a time and it’s time that we begin making the earth a safer place to live. If one person at a time makes a change towards buying “Green” products, this will increase the demand for greener products. The resulting change will be an increase in supply and therefore a reduction of costs, making the products more accessible and affordable for everyone. By purchasing just one green product, there is a message being sent to the manufacturers regarding the types of products consumers want. Don’t be discouraged, without each drop of water there would be no ocean.  Start the wave!        

[By: Heidi Littlejohn, Edith Bouchard, Jade Bowen, Lisa Hay]

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BLOG B : How Do I Green My Wedding?

With the green revolution sweeping through all of life’s phases it has finally influencing peoples decisions on wedding preparations. With the wedding season starting up some couples are curious about how to incorporate green initiatives into their day. With issues around caterers, flowers, transportation and invitations the potential impact could be larger than you think.

There are ways to reduce the impact that your wedding could have.  The food served at the reception could be made using local products.  Instead of using cut flowers to decorate potted plants will do as well and can be replanted afterwards.  Transportation from the ceremony to the reception can be done by using horse and carriage over a Limo and there are printing places that use enviro-friendly ink on recycled paper.  There are more ways to green your wedding than a few years ago.

My wife and I were married two years ago and did as much as we could then to have a green wedding.  Since we lived in a rural area the food was local and fresh and organic.  We decided to use local native plants for the majority of our decorations.  Our invitations, seating plan and guest book were made with recycled paper and recycled inks.  Ever since that day our friends keep on asking us about how they can do the same and we give them advice and direct them to companies like Green Cricket.              

[By: Terrance Gole]

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BLOG C : What is the point of something being Bio-degradable?

If packaging/product is bio-degradable but its sent to a landfill and buried, it won’t have a chance to degrade at all. This is because most bio-degradable product/packaging need sunlight (like plastic shopping bags) or oxygen (for aerobic bacterial growth) to breakdown.

Bio-degradable is a buzz word. People buy products thinking it’s better for the environment but in reality, if not disposed of properly, it is no better.

There should be a campaign to enlighten the public what is really true…

[By: Melissa Gibson, Sovi Ahoansou, Christine Spano,  Mathusha Sivakumaran.

Green Cricket Editor Note:   This blog touches on an important issue. Whereas paper breaks down in landfill, plastic is much more of a problem….that is until recently - with the advent of biodegradable plastics.  The term biodegradable means that the material is able to be broken down and composted by living organisms into simpler components that have a much reduced impact on the environment.  Plant polymers derived from corn or wheat are chosen over traditional plastics derived from non-renewable resources such as oil and coal.

It is correct that, in an anaerobic (air-locked) landfill, deprived of oxygen and the microorganisms that “eat” naturally biodegradable materials, the decomposition will be severely restricted.  However composting (Green Bin) city programs provide better opportunity for decomposition.  Check out the Maxx Air holder/BioBag system sold by Green Cricket (for under the sink storage and Green Bin disposal) as a way to maximizing the integrity of the holding container (no messy breakage) and the ultimate biodegradability of the bag and contents.

When talking to people about buying green I feel it’s important to point out that being a green consumer can take many forms or “shades”. There’s being green by buying local in an effort to reduce one’s carbon footprint. There’s being green by following the three R’s. There’s being green through efficient use of fuel and energy. All these shades lessen our impact on the planet; some even have the benefit of improving our personal wellbeing. That said there is a shade of green that provides a third benefit: safeguarding the health of those involved in the production of the goods we buy; and that’s through buying organic; particularly when it comes to cotton.

Conventional cotton is one of the world’s most chemically treated crops, consuming 10 percent of all agricultural chemicals and 25 percent of insecticides. That adds up to 1/3 of a kilogram of chemicals just to produce enough cotton for a single pair of jeans! The impact of all this chemical usage however isn’t felt by those wearing the clothing in question but rather by those that must live around and work with the cotton crops on a day-in-day-out basis. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 20,000 deaths occur each year from pesticide poisoning in developing countries, many of those from cotton farming. (more…)